Useful resources online to keep children entertained

February 12, 2021February 12, 2021 | thetwodarlings

I think for many people we look at our printers and see them as a piece of equipment now preoccupied with tasks associated with home schooling and working from home. Even though the girls have their books home from school there is still a lot of extra resources and work that has to be printed out each week – between their list of homework to be done, worksheets to go with this book or that subject it’s a lot. On top of that I have a preschooler who is heading to school this September so she is eager to sit down with her big sisters and feel part of the world of learning and that’s brilliant. Continue reading →

Getting back to exercise after having a baby

June 17, 2020March 9, 2021 | thetwodarlings

Exercise is a wonderful thing to fit into your day, it can be something as simple as a leisurely walk in the evening or as challenging as a good long run. I love it purely to unwind after a day spent meeting the demands of four small children. I find it’s a great way to process my thoughts and give me some much needed headspace which in turn leads to a better night’s sleep. Regardless of the type of exercise you go back to after having a baby there are a few things you should check before you whip out the runners and stretchy pants. After my fourth baby I went back running a few months after she was born but my whole body was weak. I ended up damaging my knee in just one run which took a frustratingly long time to sort out. Continue reading →

10 survival tips for stay at home parents

January 30, 2020January 30, 2020 | thetwodarlings

I was watching one of my favourite influencers Sinead from The Beautiful Truth recently and she was talking about the repetitiveness that sometimes comes with staying at home and minding kids. And she is so right, kids, unlike some adults, are creatures of habit so routine suits them well. And we as parents, once a routine is working, are loath to change any aspect of it until it needs to be changed. However, in doing so it is sometimes easy to get stuck in a rut where everyday begins to feel like groundhog day. I have always found this to be particularly

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Tips for families who are looking to budget and save money

January 7, 2020 | thetwodarlings

First things first I will admit I am not the one who controls the purse string in this household, my husband is and he is good at it so I trust him to make the decisions (after running it by me obviously, both parents should be involved in financial decisions in each household even if you don’t earn any or much money!) for us. And secondly, it goes without saying that we are not financial advisors so if you have money to invest etc then go to the right people for the right advice. The purpose of this post is to maybe get you thinking about simple ways to save money that perhaps you know already or perhaps you don’t. Continue reading →

Running tips for beginners

January 2, 2020 | thetwodarlings

One thing I’ve been asked lots in the past few months is how did I get back running. I have actually always been a runner, I ran competitively for many years as a youngster but it’s funny looking back now to think that 800m used to break me mentally and physically, I was a sprinter and a field athlete and never really believed I had the mental strength for longer distance running. And then I had kids, and on my first lady I realised that unfortunately the weight you put on gleefully during pregnancy is actually rather difficult to shift after the baby lands. So I went back running after my first lady 7 years ago now and it’s always been a constant between the babies and the breastfeeding. Continue reading →

The most perfect apple pie with Pink Lady®

September 27, 2019October 23, 2019 | thetwodarlings

AD ¦ I love baking but it’s one of those lovely pass times that has had to take a backseat over the last few years making way for dinners and snacks and lunches and snacks and breakfast and did I mention I serve up a lot of snacks during the day!?!? I think by the time I’m finished feeding my brood I’m spun out and just don’t have the energy for baking and cleaning. Continue reading →

How and why we switched to cloth nappies

July 22, 2019 | thetwodarlings

It’s one of those things that has been on my mind for a long time, the volume of nappies we have gone through in the last 7 years between the ladies is nothing short of shocking. Our bin destined for landfill felt as if it was 50% household waste and 50% nappies most of the time. I had thought about going reusable when Lucy was small but then it transpired she had a dairy allergy and lets just say I didn’t have the energy or the enthusiasm for that level of washing! Continue reading →

Fota Wildlife Park Cork – family pass and VIP family experience review

fota wildlife park cork review vip family pass fota wildlife park family pass

April 28, 2019April 28, 2019 | thetwodarlings

Last year one of the first big purchases I made with money I earned myself was the yearly pass for Fota Wildlife Park here in Cork. So many of my friends have it and even though its about a half hour drive from the house I just knew it was something we would get a huge amount of use out of. And I was so right, I would estimate we have been about 20 times in the past year and honestly there has never been a time where I have suggested going to Fota and the girls have been anything less than ecstatic. And it’s been a joy to watch Lucy change over the last year going from a ‘baby’ that stayed in the buggy the vast majority of the way round to a little lady that literally walks or runs the whole route now and grows more and more fascinated by the animals every time we visit. And the park has changed loads since we started going, there have been new animals introduced and new babies born so it really is a new experience every time we go. Continue reading →

3 effective ways to deal with and treat nappy rash

April 10, 2019 | thetwodarlings

There are, in parenting, a few things that are rarely avoided, like sleepless nights and sore bums. Nappy rash is one of those things that just occurs, there is usually no avoiding it that’s why the title of this blog post isn’t ‘3 ways to avoid nappy rash’ because it’s not like you can stop their teeth coming down ha!! At the moment little Miss Alice is suffering, I have no idea why, she’s not really teething so I figure it’s just one of those things that happens especially once they start on their weaning journey. And nappy rash can really hurt babies, it’s an awful thing to see any small baby suffer so I’ve put together this post which covers the three ways I deal with nappy rash to firstly make it as comfortable as possible for the baby while they’re suffering and secondly how to get rid of it as quickly as possible. I usually find I can get it to clear up within about 24 hours using these tried and tested (on four kids now!!) methods. Continue reading →

8 ways to be more sustainable around the house

April 1, 2019April 1, 2019 | thetwodarlings

Back in the day when I used to work the area I became involved in was centred around sustainability – mainly in the area of water, wastewater and the reuse of dairy wastes. Sounds glamorous eh! But it was really interesting and I loved it and when I became a stay at home mother it was something that I became more and more conscious of especially as the girls got bigger and we had more. I started to question the world we were going to be leaving behind for them and, more importantly, the problems their generation and others will face. Continue reading →

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